Over the past few days, Google has rolled out a local algorithm update impacting Google My Business (GMB) and Maps listings. It appears that Google is tightening its geo-local proximity.
According to Search Engine Land, “The local SEO community was a consistent chatter about a Google update, specifically targeting Google Maps rank. The consensus became clear – businesses in Google’s map rankings were experiencing drops. Some drops were massive and widespread across individual geographies.”
They go onto say, “Using the tool Places Scout, we’ve been tracking several listing’s rank per location per zip code. Post update, our listings that saw massive drops only saw those drops in zip codes they weren’t actually in. The new listings that surfaced in these zip codes were a mixture of legitimate and spam. All were closer to the zip code we lost traction in.”
So, to recap, it looks like Google is trying to fight GMB spam with this update and tighten the geo-local around existing businesses. Be sure to check your GMB and Maps listing to see what, if any, impact this has had on your business.
Citatons
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-update-november-2019/334803/#close
